Traces of human occupation from Middle Paleolithic period have been found in a cave, unearthed after long-awaited work started at the new waste water treatment plant at Companheira on the banks of a tributary of the Arade River near Portimão.
The 40,000-year-old home is that of Neanderthal Man and luckily the cave is not directly on the plot that is being cleared for stage one construction.
However, a second cave was discovered that is in the construction zone and the debate now is whether a change of site is warranted which inevitably will add months to the plant’s completion date.
Experts from the Portuguese Environment Agency, the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage, the Nautical Centre for Nautical and Underwater Archaeology, the Regional Directorate of Culture, Portimão Council, the contractor and Águas do Algarve have met to discuss the best way forward.
In an interview reported in Sul Informação, the expert Prehistory archaeologist from the University of the Algarve, Nuno Bicho, said that “as soon as the first cave was discovered, a team from the University and colleagues from the Regional Directorate of Culture made a first archaeological inspection to assess the potential of the find and entered the cave which is thought to have several branches and narrow galleries.
"During the initial survey we found animal bones and utensils made from carved stone," said Bicho, adding that the characteristics of the find were attributable to the Middle Paleolithic period and had been left by Neanderthal Man.
"It is a very rare chronology for the Algarve", said Bicho, explaining that the region only has one other cave with the same kind of link to Neanderthal man, the cave of Ibn Ammar in the same area but on the Lagoa side of the Arade river and in poor shape.
Professor Bicho says the first new cave is not interfering with the construction of the waste water plant but it is very close by. The expert now hopes that the big meeting between the various bodies will result in a plan of action that can reconcile the various conflicting interests.
"Our goal is to continue the archaeological intervention to determine its importance and then carry out a full research project.”
The General Directorate of Cultural Heritage may require a change in the project which will cause significant delays, delays that Águas do Algarve and Portimão Council are far from happy with.
______________
With thanks to Sul Informação
